Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 22, 2017)

Bollywood filmmakers heaved a sigh of relief when Pahlaj Nihalani was ousted from his post as chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and welcomed Prasoon Joshi. The move, it was suggested, would minimize the unwarranted cuts demanded in films that had made Nihalani infamous among contemporaries. However, going by the Board’s recent decision, it appears that little has changed after the new appointment.

Actor-director Ananth Mahadevan’s upcoming thriller, the Gautam Rode, Abhinav Shukla and Zareen Khan-starrer Aksar 2, has become the latest victim of the Board’s censoring. The song in question is Aaj Zid. Interestingly, Mahadevan says he is yet to receive an explaination for why the CBFC thought the song was inappropriate for television audiences. “I don’t know what the CBFC finds unsuitable for viewers. The song is on YouTube, and anyone who has seen it will tell you that it doesn’t have objectionable content. The romance between the lead pair hasn’t been shown inappropriately,”

Mahadevan says, adding that should the Board be willing to reveal their reservations, he will consider implementing cuts. “It seems that they [board members] don’t have a clue on how to go about the procedures. I hope that they consider their decision again and permit a television release, as it is part of our publicity plan.”